Last spring, I--at the urging of my flower loving mother-in-law-- planted a bed full of perennials behind my house. Here in Choteau, the only place to plant flowers is where they will be protected from the wind. Since the front of our house gets the wind full force from the west, my backyard is lush, green and landscaped, while the front is, well, left to fend for itself! While I have no idea what kind of flowers these are (I'm more the veggie type of gardener), I am loving the bright colors and the way they seem to take care of themselves.
About this time of year, the brown brittle grass of winter gives in to the sunshine and moisture and turns green. Behind our fenced in backyard, is what we call the "way back." Technically it is the land beyond our property line that at one time housed a railroad. While the tracks are still there, the line is no longer in use and makes for a perfect chicken pasture. Almost 1/2 acre, our flock of 28 can roam, peck, hunt and chase all they want. Truly, there is no better sight than happy chickens roaming the green grass. This is also where I house my large yard waste compost pile and, needless to say, this provides our chickens with lots of fun stuff to scratch around and fertilize.
Last fall, with the hope of jars upon jars of Garlic Pesto, I planted a fall bed of hard neck garlic. Unlike its soft neck counterparts, hard neck garlic sends up a shoot, called a scape, that you chop off and use for cooking and canning. These little buggers came up on our first 45 degree day and are growing like crazy. The asparagus, strawberries, raspberries and onions are also looking good and 2 days ago I seeded in the lettuce, kale and spinach. Here's hoping that yesterday's rain didnt wash it all away.
Our 5 chicks are doing quite well and growing very quickly. Their mom, our white silkie named Genti, is a great caregiver and protects them from the other chickens who are constantly after their vitamin water and feed. Even the big ole' rooster, Fred, who is 3x Genti's size is scared of her. Smart man! The yellow chick, probably an Araucana (lays Easter egg colored eggs), has quickly become our favorite and is aptly named Sunshine. The last photo is of our "Free Exotic Chick" from last years order. He is a bantam rooster and is very short, but rules the roost like no other. You should see him chasing those hens around!
Yes, Spring has arrived, and like the Easter proclamation that "Jesus Has Risen!"--our hopes are renewed in the joy of the season!
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